No overall control

In the context of local authorities in the United Kingdom, no overall control (abbreviated to NOC; Welsh : dim rheolaeth gyffredinol) ^[1] is a situation in which no single political group achieves a majority of seats, analogous to a hung parliament. Of the 248 councils who had members up for election in the 2019 local elections, 73 (over a quarter) resulted in a NOC administration. In the 2021 election, 14 resulted in no overall control. The term can still be used for several other countries, such as for two local councils of Malta and the General Assembly of Budapest in Hungary.

Administration in NOC councils

Typically, if no party achieves overall control of a council, the largest grouping will form alliances to create an ad hoc governing coalition. Often local authorities have larger proportions of smaller party and independent members than the House of Commons, and when there is no overall control this often results in minor groups having more influence than their numbers alone would suggest.

In the result of No-overall Control, the largest party may attempt to govern as a minority administration, such as the Conservatives in Dudley and Thurrock or Labour in Stockport and Brighton and Hove. Parties may also work together to create a formal deal, which can range from a confidence and supply deal to full coalition. Deals, especially the looser kind, can occur between parties which are not traditionally aligned on a national level. For example, a minority Conservative administration was formed in 2019 in Bolton supported by the Liberal Democrats and UKIP whilst a Labour-UKIP formal coalition exists in Basildon. However, following the 2017 Aberdeen City Council election, all nine Labour councillors were expelled from the party for entering into a coalition with the Conservatives. Conversely, the two parties formed a coalition administration in Worcester following the 2019 elections.

It is possible for a council to be under no overall control even when there appears to be an overall majority, in particular in the case of a majority of independents, who commonly have no collective policies when elected. This can also arise when the council members divide on other than party lines. For instance, the 2004 elections to the Isle of Anglesey County Council returned more independents than all others put together, but only Plaid Cymru maintained a party group within the council, and not all of its elected members joined the group. The remainder of the council, including some members of other political parties, formed four non-partisan groups, none of which held a majority. However, the 2008 elections resulted in a group called the Original Independents gaining an overall majority.

No overall control is more common in Northern Ireland and Scotland, in part due to their usage of single transferable vote as opposed to the plurality block voting system used in England and Wales. Following the 2022 Scottish local elections, twenty-seven of the thirty-two councils were under no overall control, with a further three having a majority of independents. ^[2] Following the 2023 Northern Ireland local elections, all eleven councils were under no overall control.

Councils in no overall control

County councils

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control [3]		Seats
Cambridgeshire	61		Conservative	26		Liberal Democrats/Labour/St Neots Independent/Independent coalition	34
East Sussex	50		Conservative	25		Conservative minority	25
Gloucestershire	53		Conservative	26		Conservative minority	26
Oxfordshire	63		Conservative	21		Negotiations ongoing [lower-alpha 1]
			Liberal Democrats

Metropolitan boroughs

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control [5]		Seats
Bolton	60		Labour	26		Labour minority	26
Sheffield	84		Labour	39		Labour/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	82
Stockport	63		Liberal Democrats	29		Liberal Democrats minority	29
Wirral	66		Labour	30		Labour minority	30

Unitary authorities

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control [6]		Seats
Bedford	46		Labour	14 [lower-alpha 2]		Conservative mayor	13 [lower-alpha 3]
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	76		Liberal Democrats	28		Liberal Democrats/Christchurch Independents/Poole People/Independent coalition	44
Bristol	70		Green	25		Labour mayor	24
Central Bedfordshire	63		Independent	28		Independent minority	28
Cheshire East	82		Conservative	33		Labour/Independent coalition	45 [7]
Darlington	50		Labour	24		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	27
Derby	51		Labour	23		Labour minority	23
Durham	126		Labour	55		Conservative/Liberal Democrats/Derwentside Independents/North East/Green/Independent coalition	67
East Riding of Yorkshire	67		Conservative	29		Conservative minority	29
Hartlepool	36		Labour	18		Conservative/Independent Union/Independent coalition	18
Herefordshire	53		Conservative	21		Conservative minority	21
Isle of Wight	39		Conservative	16		Independent/Green/Island Independent Network/Our Island coalition	17
Milton Keynes	57		Labour	27		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	42
North Somerset	50		Conservative	15 [lower-alpha 4]		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green/Portishead Independents/Independent coalition	35
Northumberland	67		Conservative	33		Conservative minority	33
Peterborough	60		Conservative	23		Conservative minority	23
Portsmouth	42		Liberal Democrats	18		Liberal Democrats minority	18
Redcar and Cleveland	59		Labour	23		Labour minority	23
Rutland	27		Liberal Democrats	11		Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	12
Slough	42		Conservative	21		Conservative/Liberal Democrats coalition	24
South Gloucestershire	61		Conservative	23		Liberal Democrats/Labour Party coalition	37
Southend-on-Sea	51		Conservative	22		Conservative minority	22
Stockton-on-Tees	56		Conservative	25		Labour minority	22
Wokingham	54		Liberal Democrats	26		Liberal Democrats minority	26

London boroughs

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control [8]		Seats
Croydon	71		Conservative	34		Conservative mayor	34
			Labour	34
Havering	55		Havering Residents Association	22		Havering Residents Association/Labour coalition	31

Welsh principal areas

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control [9]		Seats
Conwy	55		Independent	23		Independent/Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition [lower-alpha 5]	38
Denbighshire	48		Labour	17		Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition	25
Flintshire	67		Labour	31		Labour minority	31
Merthyr Tydfil	30		Independent	15		Independent minority	15
Monmouthshire	46		Labour	22		Labour minority	22
Neath Port Talbot	60		Labour	27		Independent/Plaid Cymru coalition [lower-alpha 6]	30
Pembrokeshire	60		Independent	36		Independent/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	29
Powys	68		Independent	21		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	30
Vale of Glamorgan	54		Labour	25		Labour/Llantwit First Independents/Independent coalition	30
Wrexham	56		Independent	23		Independent/Conservative/Liberal Democrats coalition	31

District councils

Council	Seats	Largest party		Seats	Control [11]		Seats
Arun	54		Conservative	20		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	28
Ashford	47		Conservative	19		Conservative minority	19
Babergh	32		Green	10		Green/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	26
Basingstoke and Deane	54		Conservative	23		Basingstoke and Deane Independents/Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition	21
Brentwood	37		Conservative	18		Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition	19
Broadland	47		Conservative	21		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	26
Bromsgrove	31		Conservative	11		Conservative/Independent coalition	18
Burnley	45		Labour	21		Labour minority	21
Cannock Chase	41		Conservative	18		Labour/Green/Liberal Democrats coalition	24
Canterbury	39		Labour	18		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	27
Charnwood	52		Labour	20		Labour minority	20
Cherwell	48		Conservative	20		Conservative minority	20
Colchester	51		Conservative	19		Liberal Democrats minority	15
Derbyshire Dales	34		Liberal Democrats	12		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	22
East Devon	60		Liberal Democrats	18		Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition	29
East Hampshire	43		Conservative	19		Conservative/Whitehill and Bordon Community Party coalition	25
East Hertfordshire	50		Green	19		Green/Liberal Democrats coalition	29
East Lindsey	55		Conservative	26		Conservative minority	26
East Suffolk	55		Green	17		Green/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	29
Elmbridge	48		Liberal Democrats	19		Liberal Democrats/Neighborhood association coalition [lower-alpha 7]	36
Folkestone and Hythe	30		Green	11		Green/Liberal Democrats coalition	13
Forest of Dean	38		Green	15		Green minority	15
Great Yarmouth	39		Conservative	19		Conservative minority	19
Harborough District Council	34		Conservative	15		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	19
Hart	33		Conservative	11		Liberal Democrats/CCH coalition	21
			Liberal Democrats	11
Hastings	32		Labour	15		Labour minority	19
Hertsmere	39		Conservative	16		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	23
Huntingdonshire	52		Conservative	21		Liberal Democrats/Labour/St Neots Independent Group/Green/Independent coalition	31
Hyndburn	35		Conservative	16		Conservative minority	16
			Liberal Democrats	16
King's Lynn and West Norfolk	55		Conservative	21		Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	23
Lancaster	61		Labour	24		Labour/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	52
Lewes	41		Green	17		Green/Labour coalition	26
Lichfield	47		Conservative	23		Conservative minority	23
Maidstone	55		Conservative	25		Conservative minority	25
Maldon	31		Conservative	9		Maldon District Independent Group minority [12]	6
Malvern Hills	31		Independent	11		Independent/Green coalition	18
Melton	28		Conservative	11		Independent/Labour coalition	15
Mid Sussex	48		Liberal Democrats	20		Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	25
Newark and Sherwood	39		Conservative	13		Labour minority	11
North Hertfordshire	49		Labour	19		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	34
North Warwickshire	35		Conservative	17		Conservative minority	17
North West Leicestershire	38		Labour	17		Conservative/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	19 [13]
Pendle	33		Conservative	14		Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	18
Ribble Valley	40		Conservative	18		Conservative minority	18
Rochford	39		Conservative	14		Liberal Democrats/Rochford District Residents/Green/Independent coalition	25
Rother	38		Conservative	10		Rother Association of Independent Councillors/Labour/Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	26
Rugby	42		Conservative	21		Conservative minority	21
Runnymede	41		Conservative	20		Conservative minority	20
South Kesteven	56		Conservative	24		Independent/Liberal Democrats/Green/Labour coalition	29
South Norfolk	46		Conservative	23		Conservative minority	23
Spelthorne	39		Conservative	12		Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	17
Stafford	40		Conservative	14		Labour/Stafford Borough Independents/Green coalition	25
Staffordshire Moorlands	56		Labour	24		Labour minority	24
Stroud	51		Conservative	17		Green/Liberal Democrats/Independent coalition	25
Swale	47		Labour	15		Labour/Swale Independents/Green coalition	30
Tamworth	30		Conservative	14		Conservative minority	14
Tandridge	42		Liberal Democrats	11		Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group/Independent coalition	18
Tendring	48		Conservative	19		Independent/Labour/Liberal Democrats coalition	28
Tewkesbury	38		Liberal Democrats	16		Liberal Democrats/Independent/Green coalition	29
Tonbridge and Malling	44		Conservative	20		Conservative minority	20
Torridge	36		Independent	16		Independent minority	16
Tunbridge Wells	48		Liberal Democrats	17		Liberal Democrats/Tunbridge Wells Alliance/Labour coalition	36
Warwick	44		Green	14		Green/Labour coalition	25
Waverley	50		Liberal Democrats	22		Liberal Democrats/Farnham Residents Party/Labour/Green coalition	38
Wealden	45		Liberal Democrats	13		Liberal Democrats/Green coalition	24
Welwyn Hatfield	48		Conservative	22		Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition	26
West Devon	31		Conservative	11		Independent/Green/Liberal Democrats/Labour coalition	20
West Lindsey	36		Liberal Democrats	18		Liberal Democrats minority	18
West Oxfordshire	49		Liberal Democrats	18		Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition	31
West Suffolk	64		Conservative	26		Labour/Liberal Democrats/Green/Independent coalition	29
Worcester	35		Labour	13		Labour/Green coalition	23

See also

• Coalition
• Hung parliament

References

1. Labour withdrew from the previous Liberal Democrats/Labour/Green coalition in September 2023. ^[4]
2. Including the mayor, the Conservatives match this number.
3. 14 including mayor.
4. Includes 2 independents who sit with the Conservative Party and Independents Group on the council.
5. Conwy's sole Green councillor is in a group with Plaid Cymru. ^[10]
6. Liberal Democrats and Green confidence and supply.
7. Molesey Residents' Association, Thames Ditton & Weston Green Residents' Association, Esher Residents' Association, Hinchley Wood Residents' Association, The Walton Society, Weybridge & St. George's Independents.

1. "OGWR". BBC News. May 8, 2007.
2. "Scottish Council Elections 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
3. "County Councils". Open Council Data UK. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
4. "Labour Party quits coalition running Oxfordshire County Council". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
5. "Metropolitan Boroughs". Open Council Data UK. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
6. "Unitary Authorities". Open Council Data UK. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
7. "Cheshire East Council to be run by coalition after deal is struck". BBC News. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
8. "London Boroughs". Open Council Data UK. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
9. "Welsh Councils". Open Council Data UK. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
10. "The Political Make-up of the Council". Conwy County Borough Council. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
11. "District Councils". Open Council Data UK. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
12. Meyler, Piers (14 June 2023). "Councillor who quit after suffering homophobic abuse is now leader of council". Maldon and Burnham Standard. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
13. "New alliance administration for North West Leicestershire District Council". North West Leicestershire District Council. Retrieved 5 July 2023.

External links

• No Overall Control? - Hansard weighs up a hung parliament Guy Aitchison, Our Kingdom